We were delighted to sit down with Niamh McKinney around the release of her epic new single 'Reliving', which came out recently, to find out more about the inspiration behind the song. Be sure to check out her track at the bottom, and follow her story on her socials!
I Had a King - Joni Mitchell
From my late teens, Joni Mitchell was my constant companion for years. "I Had a King" mesmerised me the first time I heard it. For me, melody and lyrics are paramount, and this melody was so powerful and had an ethereal quality; it's impossible to avoid being transported by it. The lyrics were so poetic and strange - with a mixture of references to "another time", kings, castles, queens; drip-dry and leather-and-lace - and combined with that haunting melody it was just a transcendent experience to listen to. I would escape in to the "Song to a Seagull" album all the time to just inhabit a different world for a while.
No Need to Argue - The Cranberries
I was a huge Cranberries fan in my early teens. The simplicity and intimacy of "No Need to Argue" are what struck me deeply about it: The directness and frank honesty of the lyrics; the rawness and realness of Dolores's wavering, lilting vocals; her beautiful and heart-rending ornamentation, and her complete lack of artifice - listening to her hugely influenced my singing and my love of mournful melodies and genuine, honest subject matter straight from the heart. I adored the treatment of this song; it's kept stripped bare with minimal accompaniment and gorgeous harmonies. It's so simple and Dolores's heartfelt, ethereal vocals feel all the more intense and otherworldly because of it.
Mal Bhán Ní Chuilleanáin - Lá Lúgh
I loved this song by traditional Irish group Lá Lúgh when I was quite young. My father loves and plays traditional Irish music and I used to learn songs in Irish to sing. Eithne Ní Uallacháin's singing has the ability to transport you to another time; you can feel the history in this song. As always, melody counts for so much to me, and this melody is beautiful, with a plaintive, almost chant-like chorus - "is fada liom uaim í, uaim í" ("it's far from me she is, from me she is") - and gorgeous harmonies. My father once said, "her voice is like honey", and I always remember that when I hear her singing. It really is like honey. The song starts with an almost vocal-sounding flute and fiddle arrangement, and then Eithne's almost flute-like vocals begin. It really gets me in the gut, her unadorned, soulful singing.
Tulip - Jesca Hoop
"For beauty and perfume, I'd stake my house and my lands
The gold is sleeping in the river, but the flower's in my hand" - this song by Jesca Hoop feels like an old, traditional song; the melody and lyrics are beautifully crafted in ballad style. The electric guitar provides wonderful contrast and elevates the vocals. I love the change in melody that comes with the bridge. The overlapping lines at the end that peter out to unaccompanied, harmonised layers of vocals are shiver-inducing. I only discovered Jesca Hoop a few years ago and it was a real delight to stumble upon her rich material.
Night of the Swallow - Kate Bush
I was a young teenager when I first heard "Wuthering Heights" by Kate Bush, and I remember feeling confused and excited by what I had just heard. It was like my ears couldn't compute her voice at first. It was a strange, magical experience and I wanted to hear more. The first album of Kate Bush's that I had and played over and over was "Hounds of Love", but my favourite has to be "The Dreaming". I'd heard nothing like it before (or since), and my favourite track is "Night of the Swallow". It's an absolute masterpiece. It has everything I want in a song: Story, something haunting, intense energy, fantastic melody with gorgeous changes. The chorus has unbelievable, rising energy. It's an emotional roller-coaster. I love Kate's ability to really inhabit a story and take you on a journey. This song is like a mini-movie. There's drama and soulfulness and wonderful use of instrumentation including a fabulous traditional Irish arrangement for the chorus. It always gives me shivers, this song.
Reliving - Niamh McKinney
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